© 2023 254 North Front Street, Suite 300, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910.343.1640
News Classical 91.3 Wilmington 92.7 Wilmington 96.7 Southport
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WHQR's streaming is working intermittently. We are working on resolving the issue, and we apologize for the inconvenience

Why Would Someone Choose Silence For 17 Years?

Listen to the Story

Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode Quiet

About John Francis' TED Talk

For almost three decades, John Francis has been a planetwalker, traveling the globe by foot and sail with a silent message of environmental respect. For 17 of those years he didn't speak a word.

About John Francis

One day in 1983, John Francis stepped out on a walk. For the next 22 years, he trekked and sailed around North and South America, carrying a message of respect for the Earth — for 17 of those years, without speaking. During his monumental, silent trek, he earned an MA in environmental studies and a Ph.D. in land resources.

Today his Planetwalk foundation consults on sustainable development and works with educational groups to teach kids about the environment.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR/TED Staff